Commutator.



PATE "1 JOSEPH F. PARKER, OF MOILE, ALABAMA, VASSIGrK'B., BY DIRECT ANDMESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, To rama.

I ldo'herebyV declare the following to be -a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in ltheart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to improvements v1n commutators, andconsists more 'particularly'in improvements and modifi-- cations of thedevice illustrated and described in my similarly entitled, co-pendingapplication Serial No. 41127, filed July 21, 1915.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvedcommutator having all of the objects land advantages of my prior deviceillustrated in the application aforesaid, and which has been found toyield par'- ticularly excellent results on Ford automobiles; the severalparts being arranged and constructed in such manner as to be adapted forapplication to the cam shaftof the motorl without alteration or changetherein; al-

though it will be understood that the present invention may have a widerapplication and give good results on other types of cars.

Another object of the present invention resides in providing an improvedcommutator, the parts whereof will be inclosed in a Vcasing surroundingthe engine cam shaft vor other engine driven shaft, and 'supportedeither therefrom or from the car chassis; said casing being providedwith a removable front cover'plate to give ready access to the interiorof the casing from the front thereof,v as found desirable in makingadjustments and in substituting and renewing parts.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the noveldetails of costruction and combinations of parts more fully hereinafterdisclosed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a -part of this application, and inwhich Similar reference symbols indicate correspond-- Specification ofLetters Patent. Y

Application filed 1l' ovember 23, 1915. Serial N o. 63,108..

UNIVERSAL coarmn'rn'ron COMPANY, me., A conronnrroiv or ALA# lconnur'naon.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

ing parts'in the several views: Figure plate partly broken away landshowing the -interior of the casing of an improv'd com;

mutatorconstructed in accordance with the 1 is a-front elevatlonal view,With the frontbbverpresent invention. Fig. 2 is a central sectional Viewtaken along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view takenon the line 3-3 in F ig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates a cam shaft,or other shaft, arranged to be driven from the internal combustionengine, and over which isv mounted a casing 2 for inclosing the variousparts of the improved commutator; and which casing is preferablysupported-from the chassis of the automobile in a manner not shown, asthe same formano part of the present invention, it beingunderstood thatsuch casing may be supported in any manner found desirable or necessary.

.On the cam or other shaft 1 is Xed an eccentric 3 formed withA abearing 4 fitted on said cam shaft 1, and engaging a shoulder 20 on theshaft whereby the same is held to position. The eccentric 3 is alsoformed with a Iflange 21 embracing one side of a gear wheel 5 through aconcentric opening in Whlch said eccentric 3 is rotatably fitted. Aplate 22 conforming substantially to the shape of the eccentric liange21 is securedto the eccentric 3`by screws, or other means, 23,. andembraces the opposite side of the gear wheel 5 for removably connectingsaid eccentric in place and to prevent possible disengagement therefromduring the operation of the dev ice.A This plate 22 is provided With abearing 24, similar to the bearing 4, and extending oppositelytherefrom, the samebeing perforated in registry with an opening inthecam shaft 1' to receive a pin 25, whereby the plate 22 and eccentric 3are connected to rotate with the cam shaft 1.

Over the end of the cam shaft 1 is fitted a washer 26 formed with avflange 27 embracing the bearing 24, as advantageously shown in Fig. 2,and for positively preventing the pin 25 from accidental removal fromenfr is threaded@ 1. The end ofthe cam receive a nut 28, which isscrewed up against the washer 26 and binds the several parts av ring 7of insulating material, wherein' v easing for adjustment 0f the parts,or for the removal and replacement of the same.

On the cover 31 is acentral forwardly projecting boss 32, hollow withinto receive the end of the cam shaft 1 andparts thereof, Y

and formed With straight oute'i` faces which may be hexagonal, as shown,to provide av nut for engagement by the fngersor a wrench or other tool,whereby the cover ma be readily removed and replaced.v l

The teeth on the gear wheel 5 engage complemental teeth. on an internalgear 6 mounted Within the casing 2, and over which the gear wheel 5 isadapted to roll as the cam shaft 1 is rotated, Adjacent the internalgear 6, inthe casing 2, is also located are embedded a plurality ofcontact yplates 8 corresponding in number to the number of lcylinders ofthe engine.4 The contact plates 8 are here shown to be four in number,andere supported flush with the inner surface of the insulating ring 7by the bind ing post screws 9. On the screws 9 are threaded the usualnuts 10 and 11, between which the leads tothe sparking devices 'arecamped.

A drum 12 is secured in any suitable manner to the gear wheel 5, and isprovided with a slotted rim for slidably receiving contact blocks 13,supported on the outer free ends of springs 15, secured by rivets orother suitable lmeans 16 to the interior ofthe rim ofA said drum.. Thecontact blocks are thus held normally projected, as will clearly appearfrom an inspection of Fig. 3, and the same are supported to yield whenbrought into engagement with the corresponding contact plates 8.

The circuit may be completed fromthe contact blocks 13 through theymetallic 0r other circuit connections may be employed to complete thecircuit, as maybe found desirable or necessary in practice.

The casing 2, as disclosed in Fig. 1,.is provided with the usual arm 17for connection byl the spark control lever for shifting said casing in amanner and for a purpose well understood.

The gear wheel 5 and internal rack 6 are arranged to be so proportionedrelatively,l

that the gear wheel 5 will include a number of teeth extending overone-third of its periphery corresponding to the numberA of teethembraced within a quarter of the internal rack 7. This arrangement willoperate to bring the three contactblocks 13 shown, successively intoengagement with the four contact plates 8; said blocks 13 be+ ing`yieldingly pressed against the plates by the, springs' 15, as shown inFig. 3, and which willinsure a good contact even after the contactblocks have been worn away to. a great extent.

'It yis obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details ofconstruction and arrangements of parts without de arting from the spiritof my invention, an therefore I do not wish 'to be limited to suchfeatures except as may-be required by the claims.

1. In an' improved commutator of the I character described, thecombination with the motor cam shaft, of acasin tted thereover, aseries. of concentrica ly arranged on said cam shaft, a. gear wheelhaving a concentric opening snugly receiving said ecgear wheel endhaving slots in the periphery thereof, spring means mounted withinvvcentrica drumsecured to rotate with said and arranged to slidably-proJect through l the slctsin said drum for successively engaging'saidseries of contact plates as lthe drum revolves, substantially'asdescribed.

2. An improved 'commutator including an engine-driven shaft, aneccentric on said engine-driven shaft, a gear wheel mounted over saideccentric, a casing, anY lnternal gear withm' sa1d cas1ng arran ed 1nmesh with said first-named 'gear 4w eel, an iiisulating ring mounted inthecasingfto one sidel of said internal geer,' contacts ein-'- bedded insaid -insulati'ng'iing`a11d Vill-elec trical connection with 'the sarlring devices.

ofthe engine, adrum'secure 'to rotatewith said gear wheel, andcontact'biocks 0n Said.

drum for successively.A engaging the. contact plates in said insulatingrihgsuhstantally as described. 5

3. 'In an improved ,commutator df the character described thecombination withthe engine cam sha ofacasn'g supported thereabout, aninsulating r'ing 1n' lsaid cat ing, series of concentric Contact platesem` bedded Hush in said ring'and4 in electrical connection. with themotor simrlxing' dewlces,

an internal gear disposed adjacent said im' sulatmg ring, an eccentricmounted to Ich@ with said cam shaft, a gear Wheel tted over saideccentric and in mesh to. ro11` around Within said internal gear, a drumsupported to rotate with said gear Wheel, a series of spring-pressedContact blocks carried by said drum for successively engaging saidContact plates, i removable front cover plate threaded into said casing,and a hollow boss on said cover plate for fitting the end of the camshaft, substantially as described. i

In testimony whereof, I affix my signe ture.

JGSEPH F. PARKER

